Various systems and methods are provided for surgical and interventional planning, support, post-operative follow-up, and functional recovery tracking. In general, a patient can be tracked throughout medical treatment including through initial onset of symptoms, diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment. In one embodiment, a patient and one or more medical professionals involved with treating the patient can electronically access a comprehensive treatment planning, support, and review system. The system can provide recommendations regarding diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment based on data gathered from the patient and the medical professional(s). The system can manage the tracking of multiple patients, thereby allowing for data comparison between similar aspects of medical treatments and for learning over time through continual data gathering, analysis, and assimilation to decision-making algorithms.

A biopsy probe mechanism and method includes an elongate sample receiving member having a longitudinal axis and having a sample receiving notch. The elongate sample receiving member and a cutting cannula are movable relative to one another along a longitudinal axis. A first echogenic feature and a third echogenic feature are established on the elongate sample receiving member and a second echogenic feature and a fourth echogenic feature are established on the cutting cannula. The elongate sample receiving member and the cutting cannula have a first position in which the first echogenic feature is in longitudinal alignment with the second echogenic feature, and in which the third echogenic feature is in longitudinal alignment with the fourth echogenic feature.

An endoscopic tissue-sampling needle includes an elongate needle shaft having a proximal and a distal shaft portion. The proximal shaft portion includes an inner tubular core that may be constructed of a same material as the distal shaft portion, having a longer length and a smaller outer diameter than the distal shaft portion. The distal shaft portion extends into and is fixedly attached to an inner diameter of a distal shaft portion lumen. The distal shaft portion lumen is configured for collection of patient tissue, with a distal penetrating tip and/or a side aperture with a cutting edge configured to excise tissue from a target site in a patient body. The proximal shaft portion includes polymer coating around the inner tubular core, which is configured to provide an outer diameter for the proximal shaft portion that may be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the distal shaft portion.

Methods and devices for identifying the 4.sup.th and the 5.sup.th intercostal spaces for the purpose of proper placement of ECG precordial leads, regardless of the patient's height and/or weight. By calculating the sternal length, the distance between the sternal notch and the xiphoid process, the locations of the 4.sup.th and 5.sup.th intercostal spaces can be determined. The present invention also features devices for measuring the length and to indicate to a user the location of the 4.sup.th and 5.sup.th intercostal spaces based on the measured sternal length. The methods and devices provide a more accurate identification of the 4.sup.th and the 5.sup.th intercostal spaces resulting in proper ECG lead placement, which then facilitates accurate ECG interpretation.

A biopsy device includes coaxially disposed inner and outer needles in which the outer needle tip is configured for obtaining a tissue sample. The inner surface of the outer needle includes a tissue retention feature which includes a countersink having a predetermined length from the distal cutting edge of the outer needle.

Various systems and methods are provided for surgical and interventional planning, support, post-operative follow-up, and functional recovery tracking. In general, a patient can be tracked throughout medical treatment including through initial onset of symptoms, diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment. In one embodiment, a patient and one or more medical professionals involved with treating the patient can electronically access a comprehensive treatment planning, support, and review system. The system can provide recommendations regarding diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment based on data gathered from the patient and the medical professional(s). The system can manage the tracking of multiple patients, thereby allowing for data comparison between similar aspects of medical treatments and for learning over time through continual data gathering, analysis, and assimilation to decision-making algorithms.

A biopsy device includes coaxially disposed inner and outer needles in which the outer needle tip is configured for obtaining a tissue sample. The inner surface of the outer needle includes a tissue retention feature which may include a countersink and/or a feature formed in the inner surface. The device may be introduced to a biopsy site through an introducer in which the introducer is vented and/or a certain ratio of introducer inner diameter and biopsy device outer diameter is maintained.

Various systems and methods are provided for surgical and interventional planning, support, post-operative follow-up, and functional recovery tracking. In general, data related to retraction of tissue can be gathered during performance of a surgical procedure. In one embodiment, the data can be used during performance of the surgical procedure, e.g., to determine whether a length of time a tissue is retracted using a retractor reaches a predetermined threshold amount of time, an amount of tissue retraction reaches a predetermined amount of tissue, and an amount of pressure being placed on tissue and/or nerves as a result of retraction reaches a predetermined amount of pressure, and/or the data can be used after performance of the surgical procedure, e.g., in determining a correlation between the data and patient pain level data.

Various systems and methods are provided for surgical and interventional planning, support, post-operative follow-up, and functional recovery tracking. In general, a patient can be tracked throughout medical treatment including through initial onset of symptoms, diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment. In one embodiment, a patient and one or more medical professionals involved with treating the patient can electronically access a comprehensive treatment planning, support, and review system. The system can provide recommendations regarding diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment based on data gathered from the patient and the medical professional(s). The system can manage the tracking of multiple patients, thereby allowing for data comparison between similar aspects of medical treatments and for learning over time through continual data gathering, analysis, and assimilation to decision-making algorithms.

Various systems and methods are provided for surgical and interventional planning, support, post-operative follow-up, and functional recovery tracking. In general, a patient can be tracked throughout medical treatment including through initial onset of symptoms, diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment. In one embodiment, a patient and one or more medical professionals involved with treating the patient can electronically access a comprehensive treatment planning, support, and review system. The system can provide recommendations regarding diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment based on data gathered from the patient and the medical professional(s). The system can manage the tracking of multiple patients, thereby allowing for data comparison between similar aspects of medical treatments and for learning over time through continual data gathering, analysis, and assimilation to decision-making algorithms.